Cyclocross

In Belgium, a Lone American Rider

A conversation with pro cyclocross racer Jonathan Page.

daniel mcmahon

Bicycling: How does one big result change a rider?

Page: You’re recognized. And people expect you to do it again, so it’s also a pressure game. I’m all right with that, but until you’re in that situation, well, I don’t know that people really understand what I’m going through or what my family is going through.

Bicycling: Is American cyclocross respected by European riders?

Page: It’s getting better. You saw that Bart Wellens and Rob Peeters went over and raced in the States, and Christian Huele is going to be there for most of the season. It’s getting better. They had a lot of fun, too. I’m very excited because cyclocross is growing so much in America and the athletes are getting stronger and better.

Bicycling: What’s it like when you come back to race in the States?

Page: I took a different attitude this time around when I was back for a few races to start the season off, because before I felt a little bit like an outsider. Everyone was racing against me, and instead of being upset about that I kind of took it as a compliment and turned it around and used that as more fuel than a burden. The fans and supporters are nice, except for a few! (Laughs) But in general I feel perfectly happy doing it. And I hope when I’m done with my European campaign here that I’ll actually be able to race in America for a few years, as I transition into what my next phase of life will be. To say I don’t like racing in the States would be a silly thing to say; I love it actually. It’s also hard, too, because you have to travel on a plane all the time.

Bicycling: Did you feel like an outsider because you were the only American going it alone over the Atlantic doing ’cross?

Page: Oh, of course. When I got here I felt like an outsider. What is this American doing here? And especially if I was doing OK. It’d be like, Get the heck out of my way, American! Now it’s OK; I feel accepted. But it’s a tough place to be because you’re only as good as your last result here. If you’re not doing well people let you know it. Whether it’s at the grocery store or you walk out your front door, and the local lady is like, Oh, you didn’t go so well today!

Bicycling: Have you ever felt like an outsider in the States?

Page: A little bit. But I’m always welcomed when I go back to the States, and it’s always nice to go home. But, yeah, I felt a bit like an outsider in terms of having been raced against, like a certain team beating up on me kind of thing. (Laughs)

Bicycling: A certain Cannondale team perhaps, the trio of Tim Johnson, Jeremy Powers, and Jamey Driscoll?

Page: Yeah, but they did that to everyone. That’s the difference. Here, in Europe, normally the course determines the race, not the tactics. I mean, it’s also fun sometimes to race when it’s so fast, trying to beat up on three guys against one. I like that also.

Bicycling: There was a situation with Cannondale riders last year in Wisconsin where you alleged there was some too-aggressive riding. In hindsight, was that a no-big-deal thing?

Page: No, that was a big deal. Because that could have injured me.

Bicycling: Are there any hard feelings?

Page: No, I’m done with that now. But winning a bike race because you rode like that, that’s not fun. That’s not really cool. Winning because you did a good job or you made the right move, that’s right. For me, if you just go out there and give it hell and leave it all out there and you win or you lose, however you did it. But if you did it fairly, then it’s good for me.

Page has spent the better part of a decade racing the world's best in Europe. (Kristof Ramon)

Bicycling: What are you goals this year?

Page: I’m going to concentrate on the world cup races, because those get the most points. Then I’ll pick and choose some of the races I know I’m pretty good at. It’s nice to have a series contract for all these races. In that respect I’m very lucky, but I can’t be very bad at any of them!

Bicycling: What does it mean to have a series contract in European cyclocross?

Page: Well, not everyone is given the series contracts. You can go to races individually and hope for a contract, but I have proven that I can race well over here and I’m liked well enough. That’s how it normally works. In Belgium, I have an agent who’s basically a contract agent, and he arranges the start contracts for me. I’ll get the start money to show up to these races. It’s used for traveling and such. If you have some left over, it’s a good deal.

Bicycling: Last year you skipped U.S. nationals but you plan to race this year. Is that because nationals have been moved to the first week of January from December, which conflicted with the popular races at Christmastime in Europe?

Page: Yeah, and it actually works better. In theory I won’t miss too many races by doing U.S. nationals. In the past, I would have to come directly to the States from doing the world cup race in Spain, fly to America, fly back here, then race the Christmas series. Now I have series contracts with the different race promoters, so I won’t be able to miss a lot of races to go to nationals. Now that nationals are the same weekend as everybody else, that helps me out. But it’s still a lot of traveling back and forth; that’s just the way it is.